For a long time, the dominating method of attaching different types of shoe wear about a user's foot is to use shoe laces. The method of using shoe laces has many advantages. It is very inexpensive. The only thing that is required is a number of openings for the shoe laces at the separate parts into which the shoe laces may be inserted to be able to tighten the separate parts about the foot of the user. Different persons that have substantially the same shoe size have different widths and different heights of the feet along the length of the foot that can often be compensated for by tightening the shoe laces differently. Of particular importance is that it is possible to achieve a very high tensioning force which may be important when using, for example, certain types of boots.
However, shoe laces have several drawbacks. A certain finger dexterity is required for tying shoes which causes problems for small children and persons with reduced dexterity in the arms and fingers. Furthermore, shoe laces may easily get untied if they are not tied properly. The wear on the shoe laces is significant if they are often un-tied and the user steps on them. The shoe laces may also be a risk factor if they are not properly tied so that they untie and the user may trip over them or if, for example, the shoe laces get caught in a moving stairway.
The problems with shoe laces have resulted in the search for other solutions. One solution that is used on some types of shoes are zippers. One advantage with zippers is that they are easier to use than shoe laces. A significant drawback with zippers is that the tightness in the sideways direction cannot be varied. The separated parts must completely merge when using a zipper and each point along the zipper is fixed in the sideways direction. The usefulness of zippers for shoe wear is therefore limited. Another drawback is that the zipper sometimes require a lot of strength to pull up the zipper.
Another solution that nowadays are sometimes used is velcro fastening mechanisms. As opposed to shoe laces, velcro fastening mechanisms may be maneuvered by using one hand and it is easy to vary the tightness of the shoe about the user's foot. This is a significant advantage compared to zippers. A substantial drawback with velcro fastening mechanism is the relatively large separated parts on the shoe wear that must be connected and overlap one another to provide a sufficient tightening force and because it is also desirable to vary the width of the shoe wear to adjust to the width of the user's foot, it is required that very large portions of the components have the velcro locking mechanism. The material required is therefore often substantially greater when velcro fastening mechanisms are used compared to shoe laces and zippers. Although it could be imagined that only the velcro components overlap one another, the usefulness of such a solution is limited for aesthetical reasons. The reason because the velcro locking mechanism on shoes is not a completely satisfactory solution depends greatly upon the fact that the aesthetical appearance of the shoe wear is much affected by the velcro locking mechanism. These are mostly used on athletic shoes and are not hardly used on any shoes require more aesthetical appearance.
Thus, there is a longstanding need for a fastening mechanism for shoes that is easier to handle than shoe laces and that does not have the drawbacks associated with zippers and velcro fastening mechanisms as mentioned above.
The present invention has accomplished an arrangement for shoe wear that eliminates the above mentioned problems associated with the already known and above described fastening mechanisms.
The arrangement according to the present invention includes at least one transverse locking part that extends across the cavity. The transverse locking part is attached in the separate parts on each side of the cavity. The transverse locking part is, at least on one side of the cavity, movably attached and movable along the cavity so that the tightening of the shoe wear is accomplished when the locking part is moved so that the above mentioned parts are pulled towards each other.
A suitable embodiment of the present invention has a track, or something similar thereto, that is arranged on each side of the cavity. The tracks extend mainly in a direction along the length of the cavity and is adapted to diverge in the direction towards the opening of the shoe wear at least when the user has inserted his foot into the shoe wear and before the tightening of the parts have been done. The transverse locking part extends across the cavity between the tracks and are attached to a movable member of the tracks. The shoe wear is open to be put on or taken off when the cavity is open and the locking part is situated at a greatest distance from the opening and the tightening is performed when the locking part is moved in the direction where the tracks diverge and thus the separated parts are pulled in a direction towards one another and the locking part is lockable in different positions along the tracks.
The arrangement of the present invention may be handled by using only one hand when putting on and taking off the shoe. When the shoe is put on, the user pulls the locking part in a direction towards the opening of the shoe and when taking off the shoe, the locking part is pulled in an opposite direction. No particular finger dexterity is required for tightening or loosening of the shoe.
According to a suitable embodiment of the present invention, the locking part, that extends between the tracks across the cavity, is adjustable to shorten or lengthen the extension of the locking part between the tracks so that the locking part may be adjustable to the various foot widths of the users.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the tracks and the locking parts are a separate unit that is permanently or removably attached to a conventional shoe wear. The attachment of the tracks may be performed with rivets or adhesives or removably attached with fastening mechanisms that are engaged in the holes used for the shoe laces.
An advantage of the latter embodiment is obviously that conventional shoe wear with conventional shoe laces may, in an easy and inexpensive way, be complemented with the arrangement of the present invention. A person who has injured his arm, for example, when the arm is broken, can thus complement a pair of his own shoes with the arrangement of the present invention and during the healing period can put on and take off his shoes himself.